The present invention relates to a head suspension assembly of a disc drive. In particular, the present invention relates to a head suspension assembly with adjustable pitch and roll attitudes.
Data storage devices store digital information on a rotating disc. Heads are supported relative to the disc surface to read data from or write data to the disc. The heads include an air bearing slider which includes a leading edge, a trailing edge and opposed sides. The head or slider is flexibly coupled to a suspension assembly which includes a suspension portion which supplies a load force to the slider at a load point. The load point is positioned between opposed sides of the slider and between the leading and trailing edges of the slider. The load point defines a pitch axis between the leading and trailing edges about which the slider pitches and a roll axis between opposed sides of the slider about which the slider rolls.
For operation, rotation of the disc creates an air flow along an air bearing surface of the slider to create a hydrodynamic lifting force. The hydrodynamic lifting force is countered by the load force supplied by the suspension portion which defines in part a fly height of the slider above the disc surface. During operation, the slider pitches and rolls about the pitch axis and roll axis. Typically the slider is supported at a pitch angle relative to the disc surface so that the trailing edge of the slider is closer to the disc surface than the leading edge. Pitch and roll parameters of the slider affect the fly height of the slider which affects read/write resolution and clarity.
Dynamic pitch and roll of the slider relative to the load point is related to the pitch static attitude (PSA) and roll static attitude (RSA) of the slider. PSA and RSA can vary based upon manufacturing processes and manufacturing tolerances, for example variations in flexure or relative stiffness of the suspension components can introduce variations in PSA and/or RSA parameters of the slider. As previously explained, variations in PSA and RSA parameters can affect pitch of the slider relative to the disc surface and fly height parameters for read or write operations of a disc drive. The present invention addresses these and other problems and offers solutions not previously recognized nor appreciated.
The present invention relates to an in-situs pitch and/or roll attitude adjustment system. The in-situs adjustment system includes a flexure element having an energizable dimension differential. The flexure element is coupled to a suspension assembly and slider and is energizable to supply a flexure force to the slider to adjust pitch or roll attitudes of the slider. These and various other features, as well as advantages which characterize the present invention, will be apparent upon reading the following detailed description and review of the associated drawings.